Turning A Family Curse Into A Blessing

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. - April 18, 2016 - PRLog -- Madison, VA. Christine F. Anderson Publishing and Media has released Tom Roberts' memoir Escape from Myself: A Manic-Depressive's Journey to Nowhere.

About the Book:

Tom's memoir takes the reader from what appeared to be a comfortable college professor's life to the dirty streets of Hollywood, CA. He was living in a fantasy that he could earn a living as a film actor just as he dreamed when he was in high school. His "escape" as he calls it, was triggered by medical treatment following a horrible depression that had lasted six months by the time he was hospitalized. He was prescribed the new antidepressant Prozac and it turned out to be the worst anti-depressant for a yet undiagnosed manic-depressive.

Tom's diagnosis of bipolar disorder came too late to save his marriage and his college teaching position. His journey takes the reader from "nowhere" to "now here", as Tom learned how to manage his illness.

As an inspirational speaker, Tom Roberts encourages compassion and understanding of those with mental illnesses in order to dispel stigma so they will get professional help. He reminds his audiences through his experience with bipolar disorder that severe mental illnesses are treatable disorders of the brain. Left untreated, however, they are among the most disabling and destructive illnesses known to humankind. Tom also speaks from the perspective of one whose brother and sister committed suicide. Each one was too afraid of the stigma attached to mental illness to get psychiatric help.

About the Author

Tom Roberts is an author, speaker, husband,father of two grown children and grandfather of a granddaughter and grandson. He is a former college professor and broadcast journalist. He currently resides in Southern California, has an M.A. in Radio-Television-Film and is an advocate for mental health.  He can be contacted through his website https://www.tomspeaksout.com